2”, $45 cube PC runs Android and Linux on Cortex-A9 ARM chip

Mini-computer goes up to quad-core, can be pre-ordered now for $45 to $120.

A new entry in the rapidly expanding tiny computer market will give you a 2" × 2" × 2" cube-shaped machine that runs Android and Linux-based operating systems.

CuBox-i, from the Israeli company SolidRun, comes in four configurations ranging in price from $45 to $120. They all use i.MX6 Cortex-A9 ARM processors with speeds of 1GHz, ranging from one core to four cores. DDR3 memory ranges from 512MB to 2GB. CuBox-i computers can be pre-ordered now with shipments scheduled to begin in late November.

SolidRun said in an announcement today that the "latest versions of [the] Linux kernel and several of its distributions" are supported, as well as XBMC Media Center and Android 4.2.2.

The rest of the listed features are as follows (asterisks are next to those only available on higher-end models):

HDMI 1080p output

Multi format hardware video decoding and encoding engine

Integrated video image processing unit

OpenGL|ES 2.0 GPU

OpenCL 1.1 embedded profile support*

10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet (Gigabit only on higher-end models)

Two powered USB-2.0 host interfaces

eSata 3Gbps*

Infra-red receiver

Infra-red transmitter*

Optical audio SPDIF out

MicroSD for operating system storage

Micro-USB*

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth*

Built-in Real Time Clock with battery backup*

CuBox-i is a follow-up to the CuBox, with better specs and a lower price. CuBox-i is two inches wide in each direction, small enough to work in embedded systems. An "open source SDK and tons of available software packages" will help users complete a range of projects with the device, the company said. Potential applications include an "Android TV box," point of sale terminal, digital signage, media centers, compilers, or integrated development environments. CuBox-i can also act as a basic desktop when docked with a keyboard and screen.

Ooh, a Real Time clock, with battery backup be still my beating heart!

Isn't that like an alarm clock manufacturer listing a snooze button on the feature list? It's something that everybody else just considers a standard feature.

Raspberry Pi for example doesn't have a battery backed RTC. Many other small computers don't have those. So it really is something that people look for in these products; and it is a positive selling point.

If they can make a computer this small, why not change the form factor and make it similar to an iPod touch (AKA small tablet)? With Bluetooth for keyboard/mouse and mini HDMI for video? Just like the aborted Ubuntu phone? That would make the device appealing to a wider range of buyers. With both Android and Linux on there, they wouldn't even need a custom Linux UI for touchscreen. They could run android in standalone mode, and Linux with keyboard/mouse/video attached.

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Well, Linux is just the kernel. I agree that many people incorrectly use the term Linux to refer to the whole stack, but this just leads to confusion because the user-space stack could be a wide variety of different things, including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, etc, with a variety of different desktop environments. This is why it's not just pedantry to say that Linux is just the kernel...because using the term to refer to the whole stack causes genuine confusion for some people about what is or isn't "Linux".

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Well, Linux is just the kernel. I agree that many people incorrectly use the term Linux to refer to the whole stack, but this just leads to confusion because the user-space stack could be a wide variety of different things, including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, etc, with a variety of different desktop environments. This is why it's not just pedantry to say that Linux is just the kernel...because using the term to refer to the whole stack causes genuine confusion for some people about what is or isn't "Linux".

So are you a GNU/Linux nazi or what? I can mail you some stickers I have lying around from the late 90s. In any case Android is not Linux considering the common usage of the word Linux.Edit: I'm going to assume that the down-votes are for the horrible image of the gnu and the penguin (which I have as a sticker from GNU) and not for disagreement.

My mom needs an update to her old ass powermac g4 computer, this could be a great replacement for someone that only use the internet to view email, pictures and videos.

Sort of sounds like one of my customers. I constantly get the line "I don't need anything fast, I really just do email and the internet". Then they get a 400 dollar piece of crap PC, and go "why is the internet so slow on here".

The internet isn't a bunch of static text and graphics that is limited by your internet speed. Webpages are increasingly using javascript and HTML5 that require real processing power to run smoothly. GPU accelerated browsers have all been the norm for over a year at least. Every website you go to these days has animations, videos, flash ads, etc....

This announcement is on the front page. If you flip through that site, the one thing you'll note is that the ARM board market is busting at the seams. There's even Pico boards to be had. The point being is that SolidRun is up against some stiff competition especially at their specs and prices.

Ooh, a Real Time clock, with battery backup be still my beating heart!

Isn't that like an alarm clock manufacturer listing a snooze button on the feature list? It's something that everybody else just considers a standard feature.

The RPi does not have a RTC because of the current drain. You can get shield boards with RTC to plug-into the RPi. In the past I experienced a few x86 CPUs on the PC104 specification without RTC chips for the very same reason. So, no it's not like a "snooze button".

I'm very happy to see the tiny full featured PC-like systems coming out. Not everything has to be x86 based or requires tonnes of power or Windows.

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Well, Linux is just the kernel. I agree that many people incorrectly use the term Linux to refer to the whole stack, but this just leads to confusion because the user-space stack could be a wide variety of different things, including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, etc, with a variety of different desktop environments. This is why it's not just pedantry to say that Linux is just the kernel...because using the term to refer to the whole stack causes genuine confusion for some people about what is or isn't "Linux".

So are you a GNU/Linux nazi or what? I can mail you some stickers I have lying around from the late 90s. In any case Android is not Linux considering the common usage of the word Linux.

I'm not a "GNU/Linux nazi" specifically. I'm more just generally irritated when people use imprecise language in a way that causes confusion. Imprecise language is fine when the meaning is clear (and correct), but in this case the improper use of the term Linux is causing confusion. As such, I'm fine with people using the term "Linux" to mean "an operating system built on the Linux kernel". I get irritated when people use the term "Linux" to refer to "some specific operating systems built on the Linux kernel, but not others, determined by some unspecified arbitrary criteria."

My mom needs an update to her old ass powermac g4 computer, this could be a great replacement for someone that only use the internet to view email, pictures and videos.

I am trying to do something similar for my mom with a Bluetimes C150 Android set-top box that I recently bought. I want something that starts up and shuts down quickly, can do Skype well, can do email and surf the web, watch Chinese videos (using the PPTV app) and play web based casual games well. And I want to use the TV as a monitor.

The Android set-top box is almost perfect for this but there are some minor problems that I'm trying to work out. The wireless motion remote with keyboard I am using is okay for someone like me but it seems a little finicky for someone like my mom. I also wish the wireless remote is able to power the device on/off like any other consumer electronic device. It seems to have problems with some of the web based games that I have tried.

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Well, Linux is just the kernel. I agree that many people incorrectly use the term Linux to refer to the whole stack, but this just leads to confusion because the user-space stack could be a wide variety of different things, including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, etc, with a variety of different desktop environments. This is why it's not just pedantry to say that Linux is just the kernel...because using the term to refer to the whole stack causes genuine confusion for some people about what is or isn't "Linux".

So are you a GNU/Linux nazi or what? I can mail you some stickers I have lying around from the late 90s. In any case Android is not Linux considering the common usage of the word Linux.

What's ironic is that using the more "proper" definition of Linux as comprising just the kernel seems less Nazi-like because it is more inclusive (Android is basically Linux but with a different stack of software on top) than someone who states that Android is not Linux.

If they can make a computer this small, why not change the form factor and make it similar to an iPod touch (AKA small tablet)? With Bluetooth for keyboard/mouse and mini HDMI for video? Just like the aborted Ubuntu phone? That would make the device appealing to a wider range of buyers. With both Android and Linux on there, they wouldn't even need a custom Linux UI for touchscreen. They could run android in standalone mode, and Linux with keyboard/mouse/video attached.

My mom needs an update to her old ass powermac g4 computer, this could be a great replacement for someone that only use the internet to view email, pictures and videos.

This train of thought lead to the creation of netbooks, and then a huge overstock of Netbooks as people realized that modern browsers actually require a fair bit of oomph to get the job done.

If your Mom is just checking with her friends of Facebook, then she might get by alright. If she wants to play Words With Friends then it's just not going to work. Even if you could get it to run it would be painfully slow. She would be better off with an actual small form factor PC with a big boy CPU and adequate memory.

My mom needs an update to her old ass powermac g4 computer, this could be a great replacement for someone that only use the internet to view email, pictures and videos.

This train of thought lead to the creation of netbooks, and then a huge overstock of Netbooks as people realized that modern browsers actually require a fair bit of oomph to get the job done.

If your Mom is just checking with her friends of Facebook, then she might get by alright. If she wants to play Words With Friends then it's just not going to work. Even if you could get it to run it would be painfully slow. She would be better off with an actual small form factor PC with a big boy CPU and adequate memory.

That's something I noticed with the Android set-top box I am experimenting with. Many Web sites and web-based games don't work well or seem too slow.

Power adapter is sold separately so that is an additional $8 plus the microSD which you can usually find deals on, but nonetheless the top one is $127 plus S&H.

I agree with an earlier statement and had this conversation with a buddy during the Ubuntu IGG campaign...Make a non android linux tablet tablet or basically a Surface Pro but for Linux. I can't be the only one that would throw money at that at first sight. A tablet/PC with some actual horsepower under the hood would be a major asset to me. I wish Ubuntu would use that as a first step then transition to phones or their all in own solution like they envisioned their phone to be.

My mom needs an update to her old ass powermac g4 computer, this could be a great replacement for someone that only use the internet to view email, pictures and videos.

This train of thought lead to the creation of netbooks, and then a huge overstock of Netbooks as people realized that modern browsers actually require a fair bit of oomph to get the job done.

If your Mom is just checking with her friends of Facebook, then she might get by alright. If she wants to play Words With Friends then it's just not going to work. Even if you could get it to run it would be painfully slow. She would be better off with an actual small form factor PC with a big boy CPU and adequate memory.

My wife does Facebook and email and some occasional internet shopping. Originally I thought my old maxed out P4 would be up to it. By maxed out I mean everything was at the maximum spec, including the fastest PCI video card I could find. She complained it was too slow. I saw a facebook game (farmville?) and the CPU was maxed and it was crawling.

So I gave her my Q6600 with 8GB memory and an old graphics card. She said it was still a little slow but she could use it. Then the video card died and I gave her the new Nvidia I had just purchased for my use (not high end, low-mid range). Now she's happy with it.

My advice, if facebook is involved, assume games (flash) will be played. Maybe an i5 at minimum, and a decent graphics card.

Actually, most people want Linux/X11, and don't care too much about the GNU utilities (except for glibc, and there are non-GNU libc's out there which are compatible). Most Linux users would be just as happy (and not notice any difference) with a BSD user-land on top of Linux, rather than GNU.

Only if you think of Linux as just the kernel. Most of the user-space stuff is unique and runs under the Android SDK which is Java-based. Most people use the term Linux to encompass the entire OS stack. But it's up to interpretation.

Well, Linux is just the kernel. I agree that many people incorrectly use the term Linux to refer to the whole stack, but this just leads to confusion because the user-space stack could be a wide variety of different things, including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, etc, with a variety of different desktop environments. This is why it's not just pedantry to say that Linux is just the kernel...because using the term to refer to the whole stack causes genuine confusion for some people about what is or isn't "Linux".

So are you a GNU/Linux nazi or what? I can mail you some stickers I have lying around from the late 90s. In any case Android is not Linux considering the common usage of the word Linux.

I'm not a "GNU/Linux nazi" specifically. I'm more just generally irritated when people use imprecise language in a way that causes confusion. Imprecise language is fine when the meaning is clear (and correct), but in this case the improper use of the term Linux is causing confusion. As such, I'm fine with people using the term "Linux" to mean "an operating system built on the Linux kernel". I get irritated when people use the term "Linux" to refer to "some specific operating systems built on the Linux kernel, but not others, determined by some unspecified arbitrary criteria."

In common usageLinux=Linux distro (requires Linux kernel by definition)--Major defining point: A Linux distro is AT&T Unix System VcompatibleAndroid=Android distro (kernel type optional)--Major defining point: An Android distro is Google Android compatible. Any Unix compatibility is accidental.*nix=Unix compatible distro. Linux, BSD & AT&T are the major players, but there are others.--Major defining point: AT&T System V compatibility. Any Android compatibility is accidental,

Stock Google Android uses a Linux kernel.Porting Android to an alternate *nix kernel would be trivial.Porting it to a Darwin kernel would be doable.Porting it to an NT kernel would be an interesting project, but should be possible due to POSIX compliance.Porting to a VMS kernel would be extreme hacking, but again not impossible.

Just as Linux does not imply GNU Linux, Android does not imply a Linux kernel.

The internet isn't a bunch of static text and graphics that is limited by your internet speed. Webpages are increasingly using javascript and HTML5 that require real processing power to run smoothly. GPU accelerated browsers have all been the norm for over a year at least. Every website you go to these days has animations, videos, flash ads, etc....

So I would imagine this thing to suck for web browsing as a whole.

Of those, it's only Flash that drags down your browsing experience. Javascript is a relative hog, but even the lowest-end machines can do it pretty smoothly. Flash is a dog. For video, GPU acceleration will take away video decoding and display duties from Flash, which will greatly improve things, but that has ALWAYS been the case on Android devices.

Adblock exists for Firefox and Chrome, so you can EASILY get rid of the unnecessary CPU hogs on EVERY PAGE, as well as saving screen real-estate and bandwidth. For other browsers, and Android apps, dropping-in a "hosts" file that blocks common ad-hosts gets rid of almost all ads, as well.

Actually, most people want Linux/X11, and don't care too much about the GNU utilities (except for glibc, and there are non-GNU libc's out there which are compatible). Most Linux users would be just as happy (and not notice any difference) with a BSD user-land on top of Linux, rather than GNU.

Maybe so, but I've made extensive use of GNU utils in the past (especially on Solaris, where the /bin utils were buggy and limited). Today, not so much, but I still use them.

The internet isn't a bunch of static text and graphics that is limited by your internet speed. Webpages are increasingly using javascript and HTML5 that require real processing power to run smoothly. GPU accelerated browsers have all been the norm for over a year at least. Every website you go to these days has animations, videos, flash ads, etc....

So I would imagine this thing to suck for web browsing as a whole.

Of those, it's only Flash that drags down your browsing experience. Javascript is a relative hog, but even the lowest-end machines can do it pretty smoothly. Flash is a dog. For video, GPU acceleration will take away video decoding and display duties from Flash, which will greatly improve things, but that has ALWAYS been the case on Android devices.

Adblock exists for Firefox and Chrome, so you can EASILY get rid of the unnecessary CPU hogs on EVERY PAGE, as well as saving screen real-estate and bandwidth. For other browsers, and Android apps, dropping-in a "hosts" file that blocks common ad-hosts gets rid of almost all ads, as well.

Thank goodness for HTML5, ridding us all of Flash.

Ad block is also a builtin feature of Opera. There are no predefined blocks, but using cut&paste to copy from recent history to the "blocked sites" list in Preferences wipes advertising & personally defined "bad" sites out quite quickly

After a day of adding to the block list, the internet gains quite a bit of speed